HF 024.5 Rune and Belza
8:44:40 PM Josh: You find them in their room. 8:44:59 PM Rune: Belza? 8:45:24 PM Josh: Belza looks up at you. 8:46:11 PM Josh: Belza: "...yes?" 8:47:29 PM Rune: Tiprus told me. ... she couldn't help it, I made her. 8:47:42 PM Josh: Belza nods. "I know. The noblewoman told me." 8:49:39 PM Josh: Tiprus shifts uncomfortably. 8:50:08 PM Rune: Are you all right? 8:50:50 PM Josh: Belza: "I am not ill, if that is what you are asking. Not as far as I know, anyway." 8:51:42 PM Rune: ... I'm sorry if this is horribly insensitive, but how did it happen? 8:51:58 PM Josh: Belza takes a very deep sigh. Tiprus excuses herself from the room. 8:52:07 PM Josh: Belza: "You may sit, if you wish." 8:52:28 PM Rune: Rune does. 8:53:00 PM Josh: Belza: "You are aware that, following our war with your world, Tiprus and I were sold as slaves to the Thaldi clan." 8:53:19 PM Rune: Right. 8:55:03 PM Josh: Belza: "At that time, the Thaldis were still servants of Asmodeus, the true king of the Hells. I would not call our servitude at this point acceptable...but it was a preferred time, if such things are possible." 8:55:21 PM Josh: Belza: "That is...not the family they are now." 8:56:28 PM Josh: Belza: "There were coups, changes, schisms, and the clan now falls under a different one. Not an Archfiend or Demon Lord like Asmodeus, a young creature. One with no family line of his own." 8:57:00 PM Rune: Rune nods. 8:57:52 PM Josh: Belza: "I do not know how your culture deals with such things, but lineage and heritage is essential to Devils. They have a family line. They have subjects." 8:58:36 PM Josh: Belza: "So, a Rakshasa, a lower devil, was tasked with making some for this god. 8:59:13 PM Josh: Belza: "One night, I fell asleep in the slave quarters, and then...I awoke somewhere else." 8:59:31 PM Josh: Belza: "It was a lab, there were other slaves around me...all women." 8:59:59 PM Josh: Belza: "I was not supposed to wake up. I broke free, I learned what had happened, and I killed the Rakshasa." 9:00:35 PM Rune: Good. 9:00:40 PM Rune: Did you find out ... how? 9:01:19 PM Josh: Belza: "No. I am not studied such processes. But, whatever they did seemed to work." 9:02:17 PM Rune: Well, I thought maybe you asked him first. I don't think I'd think to ask in ... in that situation. 9:02:41 PM Josh: Belza: "I was...not interested at that moment." 9:04:35 PM Josh: Belza: "Tiprus and I tried to kill it with poisons, as we had seen some of the ladies do, or as we had seen some of the torturers use on the tormented souls, to prevent creation of such lives in Hell. The witches there told us it did not take...and it would appear it lived." 9:05:18 PM Josh: Belza: "And then, eventually, we found our way here." 9:05:56 PM Josh: Belza has not shifted at all during this conversation. Her expression has been flat and cold. Her gaze staring off, not looking at you directly, but past you. 9:06:10 PM Rune: When it gets bigger you could try more... direct means. If you want. Or if you can... if you can stand to let it happen we could find a place for it. 9:07:19 PM Josh: Belza: "I do not care." 9:09:01 PM Rune: ... that's what my parents did when I came out looking like this, they found a place. But you don't have to do that. You didn't have a choice so now it has to be your choice. 9:11:41 PM Josh: Belza: "My choices no longer matter. No matter what, I cannot return home. I cannot be a soldier again. I will not be accepted here. And whatever becomes of the child is now meaningless, as it shall not be welcome either. I have all the choices in the world...and none that truly matter." 9:13:48 PM Rune: Well... I accept you. And I don't see why you can't be a soldier again if you want to be one. 9:14:06 PM Rune: It's not stuck in there forever. 9:16:05 PM Josh: Belza: "I am soldier of Asmodeus and of Hell. I am also a traitor, who murdered an honored servant of a high ranking family. In this world, I am a monster, to be killed on sight. In the other, I am a criminal." 9:16:56 PM Josh: Belza: "In addition, there is no army of Asmodeus anymore. The ranks are broken and fighting for their new households. Hell is in chaos now, on both sides. There is nowhere left to go." 9:18:55 PM Rune: There is mercenary work. They don't much care how you look if you can kill the enemy, either. 9:19:09 PM Rune: And there is here. You do have a home here with us. 9:19:49 PM Rune: I know it's not like you're used to at all. And you've lost more than I can even understand. 9:20:08 PM Josh: Belza: "A mercenary. Heh. That is no cause. No purpose. That is no soldier, that is a killer with a fancy name." 9:22:05 PM Josh: Belza: "Your words are kind, and I thank you for them. But...they are naive." 9:24:18 PM Rune: Well, of course they are. 9:24:24 PM Rune: I'm practically a baby. 9:24:47 PM Josh: Belza chuckles. "You really are. You all are. I do not know how you all stand it." 9:25:27 PM Rune: Oh, I don't think about it very much. 9:25:59 PM Rune: Rune shrugs. 9:26:22 PM Rune: Nobody minds me being young, it's everything else they don't like. 9:27:11 PM Josh: Belza: "I do not dislike anything about you...the purple one is...harder to like." 9:28:18 PM Rune: She's very arrogant and impulsive, but I think she might mean well. She did rescue you and Tiprus. I think she felt it was her duty. ... there are nobles who take that kind of thing seriously. 9:29:29 PM Josh: Belza nods. "Tiprus sees this too, I think. Tiprus is still insisting on training her. There are lesson plans. I did not even know she could write." 9:31:20 PM Rune: ... it might be an opportunity for you to influence her to be better. 9:31:45 PM Rune: Better than the rest of her family. I'm still not sure if she plans to take them over once she gets back there, or destroy them all. Or maybe both. 9:32:27 PM Rune: Of course it doesn't take much to be better than the rest of them, and Creed certainly is. She's never branded anyone that I know of or had anybody... well, what was done to you. 9:33:01 PM Josh: Belza nods. 9:33:20 PM Josh: Belza: "...thank you for listening to me. I do not feel better...but it was a start." 9:35:48 PM Rune: ... I usually feel better once I've decided what to do. But that may just me. You can make long-term plans later, but... well, it's easier with babies if you prepare, I think. If you want to let this one... happen. I mean, we don't even know what it will be... but to be fair nobody ever knows that with babies anyway. 9:36:26 PM Rune: But you ... might start to have feelings about it when it gets closer to time, too. 9:37:50 PM Josh: Belza: "Perhaps. But I doubt it. I was not made to breed, nor as a care-taker. That is what the males' function is. The child holds no value to me." 9:39:35 PM Rune: I think it's just a physical thing that happens. But you might be right too. 9:40:03 PM Josh: Belza: "Maybe to your kind." 9:40:19 PM Rune: I don't... really have a kind, much. 9:40:38 PM Rune: If you want to let it happen and give it away afterward, my grandmother would take it. 9:41:42 PM Rune: If you want to let it happen and keep it nearer, but not have to do the caregiving, well. We could take it. Hank and Quill and Taeral are men after all, and Gerald is a bird-man. We could even hire a nanny. 9:42:32 PM Josh: Belza: "If I do allow it to live, I may look into your grandmother. Although, Tiprus would prefer to keep it, I believe. She has...been dropping hints." 9:43:11 PM Rune: Well, sometimes women like to raise babies too. It happens a lot with humans. 9:43:38 PM Rune: She might just want more family, too. I know you normally have lots of them. 9:44:23 PM Josh: Belza: "That is possible. Tiprus was the last of our group, and we were divided not long after we had grown." 9:44:57 PM Rune: She must love you very much. Well, and vice versa obviously. 9:47:11 PM Josh: Belza: "Yes, yes we do. ...I should not tell you this, but since she told about me...she also had a very weird obsession with the artificial child toys child males are given. So they may learn to be caregivers. I...think her love for the baby may have something to do with that." 9:47:46 PM Rune: It might. She just might be geared that way too. 9:48:00 PM Rune: Or she might see it as part of you. Or coming from you. 9:48:32 PM Josh: Belza: "...possible...now it feels kind of creepy." 9:49:32 PM Josh: Belza: "I am not sure I am comfortable with her viewing me that way." 9:49:46 PM Rune: Well normally it would be part you, but we don't exactly know that's the case this time anyway. 9:50:16 PM Rune: Well, it's probably not that anyway, given that Erinyes don't normally have babies. 9:51:21 PM Josh: Belza: "Yes. There isn't really a presedence for this right now. You may be used to breeding, but to me...it is a very alien experience." 9:51:36 PM Rune: Me?? 9:51:47 PM Rune: I'm not... I mean, I never... I definitely haven't had any babies. Ever. 9:52:03 PM Rune: I don't even know anything about babies. 9:52:27 PM Josh: Belza: "Well, no, you are still young...I think, but the culture of this plane seems to be all about worship of the event and experience." 9:52:29 PM Rune: I... bought a book about them, though. In case you do decide to ... let it. 9:52:46 PM Rune: Rune wrinkles her nose. 9:53:04 PM Josh: Belza: "I have even heard you celebrate the day of it happening with a sweet bread of some kind." 9:53:46 PM Rune: Oh, birthdays. Yes, they sing and things. It's very strange. Well, I want to help with one if you have one, so that I know more about it. 9:54:34 PM Josh: Belza: "I would like to point out, I do not fully understand what has been put inside of me. The creature that comes out may be a savage monster made entirely of fangs and claws." 9:54:57 PM Rune: Or a dragon. 9:55:35 PM Rune: But it's probably something your size or smaller, so that you could nourish it properly. 9:56:39 PM Josh: Belza: "Or it will grow beyond my size and I shall be burst like an unfortunate imp caught by an Erinyes child." 9:57:05 PM Josh: Belza: "...but I find that alternative...less likely...I think...maybe." 9:57:40 PM Rune: If it gets big enough we can just cut it out. 9:57:54 PM Rune: It won't feel good, but I'm pretty sure we can make it survivable. 9:58:26 PM Josh: Belza: "That is the first part of this process that makes sense to me." 9:59:54 PM Josh: Belza: "When there is something inside you you should not have, you cut it out." She grins. 10:00:39 PM Rune: Well, we could do that anyway, once it gets big enough. 10:00:53 PM Rune: .... people here care a lot about parents. It's weird. 10:01:07 PM Rune: And parents usually care about babies. 10:01:29 PM Josh: Belza: "Well, you clearly care about parentage. You have mentioned it several times before now." 10:01:53 PM Rune: I'm trying to figure out what it, exactly, is. 10:02:37 PM Rune: I don't really care about mine, but they did care about me enough to let me live. 10:03:10 PM Josh: Belza nods. "Your grandmother cared for you? I do not mean to judge but...the action is...strange to my people." 10:03:42 PM Rune: Yes. Well, she is a relative. Rather a distant one, but... I think she was lonely, really. Her own babies had grown up and had babies who had babies and all that, many times over. 10:04:58 PM Rune: ... anyway, I think you should keep it. But it's your decision obviously! 10:05:23 PM Josh: Belza: "Everyone seems to think so, and I am indifferent. So, I guess I will." 10:06:30 PM Josh: Belza: "...for the record, how long can I wait before killing it? There isn't a time limit is there?" 10:07:33 PM Rune: Well, we don't know when it's going to come out. 10:07:51 PM Rune: I.... I think we'd all prefer if you didn't kill it when it's big enough to be a baby and not a ... a thing. 10:08:12 PM Rune: But since we don't know what it's going to be or how long it will take there's really no way to know. 10:08:23 PM Josh: Belza: "...is it a baby before it comes out? Doesn't it need to cook all the way first?" 10:08:55 PM Rune: Well, a lot of times they can survive if you cut them out of the mother before they come out by themselves. 10:08:59 PM Rune: If something happens to her. 10:09:19 PM Josh: Belza: "Oh...that is good to know." 10:11:31 PM Rune: Well hopefully nothing will happen to you. I only have you and Tiprus and grandmother for family, I need to hold on to you. 10:13:52 PM Josh: Belza: "I wish to meet this grandmother some day. It is nothing for a male to raise a child, it is there nature, but for one of our females...that is against our function. It sounds...remarkable." 10:14:15 PM Rune: Oh! She isn't an Erinyes at all. That's the other side of the family. She's a succubus. 10:14:32 PM Josh: Belza: "Oh...yes...I forget...my apologies." 10:16:41 PM Josh: Tiprus comes back in. "Uh...is it safe?" 10:17:13 PM Rune: ... why wouldn't it be safe? 10:17:14 PM Josh: Belza: "Of course. I will not kill you now. I may need to eat you for sustinance once I am slow and fat from this creature." 10:19:00 PM Josh: Tiprus smiles and sits. "I...I'm sorry I told them." 10:19:12 PM Josh: Belza: "It's fine. They needed to know. ...who else knows?" 10:20:19 PM Rune: Just us and Creed. 10:20:31 PM Rune: It wasn't mine to tell. 10:21:56 PM Josh: Belza nods. "You should probably tell the others, though. From what I understand of the process, we will not be able to hide it. And my grasp of their language is...limited." 10:25:09 PM Rune: Do you want me to do it? 10:25:46 PM Josh: Belza nods. "And, frankly, I'd rather not be there when you do, if that's ok." 10:26:27 PM Rune: All right. I'll go tell them now. Well, whoever I can find. 10:26:29 PM Rune: Rune hugs her.